DCR Seeking 'Better Beaches Program' Grant Proposals

BOSTON - Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) have issued a call for grant proposals for the ”Better Beaches Program” from organizations in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

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Last year, 35 organizations in nine waterfront and beachfront communities received nearly $650,000 in grant dollars and in-kind support from local businesses and government to support 70 free beach events and programs. More than 500,000 people attended the free beach events in 2015, according to a press release.

“All of these great events have one thing in common,” said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s President Patty Foley. “They bring people together to strengthen their communities and enjoy our region’s most stunning natural resources, the 19 miles of DCR’s public swimming beaches that connect us to each other and to Boston Harbor, Mass Bay and Broad Sound.”

The grants range from $500-$10,000, with a typical amount of $3,500. Sometimes, larger grants are considered. Past events have included concert series, sand- sculpting competitions, campfires, art festivals, neighborhood beach parties, and family reading and movie nights on the beach.

Funds for the Better Beaches Program are provided through appropriations made by DCR to support summer programming, and the proceeds of the Harpoon Shamrock Splash, which will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at the BCYF Boston Center for Youths and Families Curley Community Center at M Street Beach in South Boston. You can register today at www.shamrocksplash.org.

The deadline to apply for grants is April 15, 2016. To learn more about the Better Beaches program or apply for a Better Beaches Grant, visit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s blog, Sea, Sand & Sky at www.blog.savetheharbor.org or download an application here. The application can be returned via email to info@savetheharbor.org.

The Better Beaches Program Grants Committee will review the proposals and notify applicants of its decisions in May.

Photo: Artist Andres Amador made art in the sand at DCR’s Carson Beach in South Boston as part of the 2015 Better Beaches Program. Photo courtesy of DCR and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.